Island



(No Model.) W. M. ROCKWELL.

HANDLE. No. 375,773. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

| I 1 I I IA I I1 I UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM M. ROCKWELL, OF WOONSOGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,773. dated January3, 1888.

Application filed August 30, 1887. Serial No. 248,972. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. ROCKWELL, of Woonsocket, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Handles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnishedand forming part of the same, is a true, clear, and complete descriptionof my invention.

Although my improved handles are well adapted for use in variousconnections, they have been specially devised with reference to theiruse with such kitchen utensils as hand mixing-spoons, heaters, &c., towhich are imparted a general circular movement without any axialmotion,as in mixing cake or other pasty compounds. These operations, whenperformed with spoons or boaters having ordinary handles,always involvemore orless painful fatigue of the arm,wrist, and hand, and much of thisis due to the firm and continuous grip requisite for preventing axialrotation of the spoon or beater, and the object of my invention is toobviate all necessity for a heavy grip upon the handle.

To this end my handle, in its best form, is provided with a pendent hornat its butt or rear end,which can be well engaged between thelittle'finger, when bent or closed, and a coincident portion of the palmof the hand; also,with a series of crosswise corrugations or ribs at theunder side of the handle and extended upward at the two sides thereof,and also with two specially-formed faces on the upper side--one face forengagement by the base of the thumb and the other face by the ball ofthe thumb. These two faces are each substantially flat or straightlaterally, but concave longitudinally, and they are inclined laterallyin opposite directions, so that they can be firmly engaged without anyundue grip of the thu mb and fingers. WVith thesetwo thumbbearing facesproperly formed and arranged good results will accrue even if thecorrugations or ribs and the pendent horn be singly or collectivelydispensed with; but the most satisfactory results accrue when all of thedescribed features are employed.

To more particularly describe my invention and several cross-sections ahandle embodying v the two novel thumb-faces without the horn and thecorrugations or ribs.

The handle A, Figs. 1 and 2, has the usual ferrule, a, and adjacentthereto, at line 20, the cross'section of the handle is substantiallycircular, as shown in Fig. 3. At line a; the lateral su rfaceof thefront thumb-face, b, is clearly indicated, its longitudinal surfacebeing concave and of a length which corresponds to the length of theouter joint of an average thumb, so that the ball of the thumb willreadily engage therewith. At line 3 the lateral surface of the rearthumb-face, c, is clearly indicated, this also being longitudinallyconcaved,so that the base of the thumb can firmly engage therewith. Itwill be seen that the lateral surfaces of these faces b and c areinclined, and also that they are inclined in opposite directions, thusenabling the portions of the hand which engage therewith to readilyresist axial rotationof the handle in both directions with even thelightest grip thereon. These faces are arranged as on handles intendedfor use by right-handed persons; but the angles or inclinations shouldbe reversed when the handles are adapted for use by left-handedpersons.- Regardless of how the remainder of the handles may be formed,these front and rear thumb-faces will be effective for the purposeintended; but to enable the hand to more securely resist longitudinaldisplacement of the handle when in use the pendent horn d is provided;but such horns have heretofore been formed on handles of various kinds.

For relieving the fingers from undue close contact with each other, Iprovide the series of corrugations or ribs 6 on the under side of thehandle, and these are extended slightly upward on each side, as clearlyindicated. More or less similar corrugations have also been heretoforeformed upon many varieties of handles. My handles may be cheaply made ofcast metal, especially of the light alloys, the well-known slipperysurfaces of which are in no manner objectionable when the novelthumb-faces are employed,and especially when these are supplemented bythe ribs and the pendent horn. I prefer, however,to use strong lightwood, and to work up the handles in pattern-lathes and finish them in anenamel which is impervious to moisture.

It will be obvious that a spoon or beater provided with one of myimproved handles can be readily worked in circular lines and all axialrotation readily prevented with a minimum grip of the hand, and hencethat much of the fatigue heretofore incident to such operations will beobviated.

With the use of the handle A (shown in Fig. 7) less fatigue will resultthan with any ordinary handle, because of the front and rearthumb-faces, b and c, which are as before described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A handle provided on its upper side with front andrear thumb bearing faces, each 1ongitudinally concave, and eachlaterally inclined in adirection opposite to the other, substantially asdescribed.

2. A handle provided with two longitudinally-coneave andlaterally-inclined thumbbearing faces on its upper surface, a pendenthorn at its rear end, and a series of corrugations or ribs on its underside, substantially as described.

WILLIAM M. ROCKWELL. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES M. ARNOLD, ERWIN J. FRANCE.

